The Players
by Potterhead2739
Summary: As promised my twenty days of Librarians fanfic. Nineteen moments that build a much larger picture. The first piece is separate, called The Thief and The Knight. Will update every day until November 20. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

The Knight and the Sorcerer

It was rare that Jenkins found himself missing the man who had caused him many problems but even Merlin, because he would always be Merlin to Jenkins, seemed like a fond memory. Oh he hadn't died. In fact, Merlin was still very much alive and kicking. He just spent most of his time gallivanting about, hitting on people and amusing himself with _mortal_ inventions. The man had been a nightmare in blue and black but he'd been a fun nightmare. Jenkins knew exactly why he was feeling so sentimental. The Librarians, whether intentionally or not, reminded him of Arthur and his Knights. Flynn was obviously Arthur. There was no debate about it. Smart, wise, battle wary, strangely attached to his sword. Eve could easily be Guinevere, or at least Guinevere as she could have been without that horrible affair business. He had long since realised, Moriarty was her Lancelot, only with a touch more evil and lot more charisma. She had chosen Flynn. She had made the right choice. Jake had been a little harder to place because Jenkins was honestly worried he'd be a Lancelot. Now he seemed like a Tristan, doomed to love someone he couldn't be with, or maybe Kay, with his sharp tongue and wit, or maybe Dinadin, the wittiest and often brightest. Of course Jake was much smarter than Kay so Jenkins lent more towards Tristan and Dinadin. Cassandra was interesting to decipher. Maybe once she would have been Merlin, but she wasn't like _him_ at all. She fell somewhere in the Lady of the Lake spectrum. Although with her ability to charm anyone in a mile radius was definitely more of a Gawain quality. Jenkins did worry that she lent more to Nimue than Elaine sometimes. He'd never met either but the stories of Nimue made him shiver. And Cassandra's interactions with the Ladies of the Lake made a compelling argument. And then there was Ezekiel. By the thief's exterior he had worried he was another Agravain or even a Mordred. No, that had quickly been disproven. Though the thief may claim he would leave, would claim to be self-preserving, he never did. He complained, he stole and he made himself sound awesome. Jenkins was startled to see how alike they were. Merlin and Ezekiel. It was as if they had been cut from the same mischievous, crafty cloth. Ezekiel may not have the magic, although his seeming semi-resistance to it made that questionable, but he'd adapted quickly. Just like Merlin, who adapted to everything but also elected to be a dick about it. Then there was the mystery around them. Merlin had never been forth coming about his life before Uther, Arthur and the Knights. From what little they'd all garnered, he'd been around a long time and not all of it had been fun and games. Ezekiel was the same, they all knew little of his life before the Library and from what little they knew it wasn't happy. Jenkins knew that some people hid their pasts out of shame but with men like Ezekiel and Merlin, it was out of sorrow. Then of course there was the mischief, both had the smirk. The one that just screamed trouble. The pranks the two of them could play. On a side note, Jenkins noted to never let Merlin meet Ezekiel. And then there was the thievery. Time to ruin everyone's conceptions about Merlin. The man was stone cold broke all the time and often nicked things for fun. You don't really get paid for being a Sorcerer. Some foolish idea that they get money via magic. But there was one big difference between Ezekiel and Merlin. And something that Jenkins envied. Ezekiel was free to do as he pleased. Jenkins had had his destiny thrust on him. Merlin was tied to the very world he walked, sworn to defend it to death. Ezekiel may have a responsibility to the Library but the Library asked little. It was his choice if he went on a mission. Merlin and Jenkins were bound by fate, cursed by destiny, to protect and serve. To fight and die. Running was not an option and Jenkins often wondered if he was trying to live through the Librarians.

"My my Jenkins. Are you getting sentimental on me?" A voice asked. Jenkins almost dropped the artefact he was examining. The one that had started his musings, the Ring of Dispel. It had been Merlin's tip that led to it.

"Merlin." Jenkins greeted sharply.

"Oh don't be like that." Merlin pouted. "I led you to that thing. No need to be so harsh."

"I suppose the years of hell you put us all through should be forgotten." Jenkins said as Merlin shrugged helplessly. "I will not however, forgive the harm you brought on the Librarians."

"Harm?" Merlin asked with a quirked eyebrow. "I didn't think it would be painful to remove."

"Dulaque was there." Jenkins snapped. Merlin's eyebrows rose. "He enchanted us somehow and it caused a lot of trouble for me and Ezekiel."

"Ezekiel?" Merlin asked.

"Our resident thief. Ezekiel Jones." Jenkins replied impatiently. "Did you know Dulaque was there?"

"Honestly?" Merlin asked. Jenkins nodded. "No I didn't. I haven't seen him in a while. But aside from that. Ezekiel Jones. Early twenties. Australian. Looks like he may be from Korea. That Ezekiel Jones?"

"Yes." Jenkins said, now suspicious. "Do you know him?"

"Hmm?" Merlin hummed as he picked up a rare book and started examining it. No doubt trying to work out its value.

"Do you know Ezekiel?" Jenkins persisted.

"Oh Ezekiel. Yes, I know him." Merlin was about to say something else but then he frowned and shook his head. "Asking him about his good Uncle Emmy. See what he tells you."

"Emmy?"

"Well Emrys is a bit difficult for some reason. And you know I always preferred Emrys." Merlin said, fondly stroking the cover of the book.

"You've always been Merlin to me." Jenkins said.

"Yes." Merlin pulled a face. "I blame Uther for that and Ector. If they hadn't kept calling me that I'd still be Emrys."

"I see you haven't changed." Jenkins commented dryly.

"Why would I want to change?" Merlin asked, scandalised. "I like who I am."

"You say you know Ezekiel. Does he make you feel envious of him?" Jenkins asked before Merlin could go off on a rant.

"Why would I be envious?" Merlin asked softly.

"Because he's free." Jenkins said. "We're bound by our destinies to live and die a certain way. He doesn't seem to be."

"Galahad." Merlin said softly and Jenkins knew it was important. "You think he has no destiny? We all have a destiny. A part to play. Some, I'll admit are more flexible than others but we are all trapped with a fate we cannot escape. Ezekiel is no exception. But unlike us, who have lived many years and wish our time would just end in peace, he is young and innocent. They all are Galahad. Just like you were once. Let them have their lives while they can. Before their fate consumes them." Jenkins stared.

"You see a tragedy coming, don't you." He said. Merlin sighed.

"I always see a tragedy coming. But Jenkins. This one will hurt. This one will leave you in pain. Not just them. You as well. And when this tragedy occurs, you will see me again. I am sorry my old friend. I hope you can forgive me."

"What?" Jenkins asked but Merlin had disappeared into the bookshelves. Jenkins mind turned back to the Librarians. What was he going to lose now?


	2. Chapter 2

The Guardian and the Knight

Jenkins drummed the desk, waiting for the call he knew would come eventually. They always called with their 'quick question' at some point. Though maybe they didn't need to this time. After Merlin's visit he'd been on edge. What was going to happen? Who was he going to lose this time? Was it Cassandra's time? Jenkins tried to remain objective. They'd gone out to find the dagger, Carnwennan. They knew what they were after. They didn't need him. Not that it made him feel any better. He needed to be needed. Those Librarians had brought him life which he honestly thought had gone. The back door sprung open. Jenkins breathed a sigh of relief. Then he saw them. Cassandra was crying, first clue something was wrong. Eve looked haggard. Pale even. But Jake made him feel the worst of all. He was sweating and panting from carrying Ezekiel, who wasn't moving and barely seemed to be breathing. Mercy! Mercy! No! Not his thief! Not Ezekiel! Please don't let this be what Merlin warned him about.

"Jenkins!" Eve snapped, going full Colonel Baird mode. Right they needed him. Ezekiel could live. He just needed to treat him. He took Ezekiel from Jake, again noting how light he was. He really should force him to eat a proper meal.

"We need to-" Jenkins was cut off by a door swinging open. The Library guided him to an infirmary. It had healing items. Had the Library been rearranging? Jenkins set to work, checking the damage. Ezekiel had been shot in the stomach. Jenkins had to breath. He noticed the boy was still clutching the dagger. He gently pried it out of Ezekiel's hand. He began cleaning the blood around the wound. He removed the bullet. He had to clean the blood off again. He was bleeding too much. Cassandra handed him something. A healing drink. Thank the Heavens. He tilted Ezekiel's head back and poured the drink in his mouth. The boy choked. But the wound started healing. Or at least the blood stopped pouring. Jenkins stitched it up with some special thread. It was okay, he'd had a lot of practice with stitches. He pulled out an oxygen tank and hooked Ezekiel to it. Ezekiel took a few shuddering breaths into it before it evened out and he fell asleep. Or passed out. Damn. Had he used anaesthetic? Too late. He ushered everyone outside.

"Is he going to be okay?" Cassandra asked teary-eyed.

"He should be." Jenkins said softly. "What happened?" Eve took a deep breath.

"We found where Dulaque was hiding and scoped it out. When we knew he was gone we snuck in, ready to steal the dagger. But it's like he knew we were coming. He came back too early. He saw us. I figured, we had the dagger, we just needed to get back to the door. So we started to run. But I didn't see the gun. Ezekiel did. He shoved me out the way and got shot in my place." She broke off, looking bleak.

"We brought him back to the Library." Jake finished quietly. Jenkins nodded. His mouth was dry. He felt sick.

"I'll stay with him." Eve said.

"No." Jenkins said. "It's best if he's alone for a bit. Just to let him build up some strength, at least in his immune system."

"Then we'll take turns to stay with him." Cassandra said. "I'll draw up a rota." She walked off, Jake following her. Eve and Jenkins stood awkwardly in the corridor.

"This is all my fault." Eve said. She slumped against the wall. Jenkins was tempted to say 'yes. Yes, it is.' But he didn't. He knew that really it wasn't. Ezekiel had put himself between Eve and a bullet. It had been his choice. Jenkins just didn't know why. Yes you do. A small voice in the back of his mind told him. He cares about Eve just as much as he cares about you.

"No Colonel Baird. It's not. It would only be your fault if you grabbed Ezekiel and pulled him between you and the bullet." Jenkins said softly. Eve stared at him.

"Are you trying to say it's his fault?" She said sharply.

"No!" Jenkins snapped. "I'm saying if you want to blame someone blame Dulaque. Not yourself. Not Ezekiel. Dulaque." Eve looked slightly chastised and they fell into an awkward silence. Jenkins let his mind wander. Surely Ezekiel wouldn't die? This hadn't been what Merlin warned him about. That only made him worry about what was to come. He had mentioned that Ezekiel knew him, maybe he should pick his brain on that when he woke up. Because Ezekiel would wake up.

"He is going to live right?" Eve asked.

"I will do my best to ensure that he does." Jenkins said.

"Thank you Jenkins." Eve said softly. "You know, Ezekiel's right about you."

"What?" Jenkins asked. He really hoped that Ezekiel hadn't told them everything about the Conclave incident.

"That we shouldn't take you for granted." Eve said. "I mean we don't." She added hastily. "But sometimes we just call and expect an answer, or help, or something. And we don't thank you. We don't do nice things for you. We should. We do care about you."

"Well I'm touched that you all feel that way. But I'm old Colonel. I know that you care. You don't need to hold my hand and guide me to an answer." Jenkins replied. "I know that you would thank me but I know that you don't always need to say it. It's there." Eve sighed.

"I know I'm not your favourite Jenkins." She said. "And I know I can be difficult. But thank you. Not just for consoling me right now. But for everything."

"You're welcome Colonel." Jenkins said. He felt a little fuzzy. "Out of curiosity. Who do you think is my favourite?" He wanted to know. Was it obvious? Did they all know?

"I would have said Cassandra once." Eve said. "Since you get along with your science and magic. But then I noticed you and Ezekiel talking. Just talking. Like friends. It made me realise. Common interests don't mean you'll be best friends. It's about being able to communicate, and show how important a person is to you." Jenkins looked back to the room of his thief.

"Being a good friend means being able to look past the differences, the imperfections and realise that they are, ultimately, a human being that you can trust." Eve nodded.

"I'll tell Cassandra that you'll watch him first." She said.

"You don't have to do that." Jenkins said.

"No, but I'm going to anyway." Eve said with a smile. Jenkins watched her leave with a smile. She may not be his favourite. But she was his friend.


	3. Chapter 3

The Scientist and the Historian

"He's going to be okay Cassie." Jake said, trying to cheer her up. "Jenkins will look after him." Cassandra sniffed a little.

"You're right. Jenkins will take care of him." She sniffed again. "But he was shot and there was so much blood."

"He'll be fine. He always pulls through." Jake said. "He has to."

"Of course." Cassandra muttered. "Let's talk about something else."

"Uh sure." Jake said, not sure what they should talk about. They had conversations but usually Ezekiel was there to break the tension. Or it was about magic, and that was a safe topic.

"So... see any good movies recently?" Cassandra asked cautiously. She still wasn't sure how best to address Jake.

"Wha-? Oh yeah. In the Library's cinema room there's a whole load of new releases. I saw that Magnificent Seven remake. And then I watched a classic." Jake said.

"Let me guess." Cassandra said with a small smile. "The original Magnificent Seven?"

"Ah no. I saw Howl's Moving Castle." Jake said with a blush. "It may not be that old but it's one of those classic movies that you just have to see."

"I haven't seen it." Cassandra admitted. "I haven't seen many movies actually."

"What!" Jake exclaimed. "Don't tell me your parents were strict on movies too."

"Yeah, unless they were documentaries or something that would stimulate my academic studies." She said with air quotes.

"No way, we need to give you a movie education. A movication." Jake said. "Let's start with ones that everyone's seen. Like a Disney movie or something."

"I'd like that." Cassandra said. She let Jake drag her to the cinema room.

They were half way through their third movie, Tangled, when Cassandra remembered it was her turn to go watch Ezekiel. She apologised to Jake.

"Hey no problem. I can just pause it." He said. "Or I could put it on an iPad and we could watch it in Ezekiel's room. I doubt he'd mind."

"Should we really be in there at the same time?" Cassandra asked. "More of us would increase his chance of getting an infection. And after all the blood loss his body may find it difficult to fight since it's busy trying to-."

"Cassie, it'll be fine. Plus, my shift is right after you." Jake said, trying to calm her and tempt her at the same time. "We can watch the movie and some others. Plus, if Ezekiel does wake up, you know how much he likes movies." Cassandra bit her lip.

"I suppose." She said. Jake followed her into Ezekiel's room, where he was breathing into an oxygen mask. Eve was in there, holding Ezekiel's hand gently.

"Here to take over?" She asked lightly. They nodded and she left the room, looking slightly upset. Jake quickly loaded Tangled on the iPad. They snuggled together to watch the movie and to keep an eye on Ezekiel. They moved onto Mulan, which Cassandra was fond of because hey girl power. She started falling asleep while they watched Brave. Jake let her fall asleep on his shoulder. He sighed. He really like Cassandra. A lot. He'd forgiven her for her betrayal, because he understood now. Really he did. Now that he knew her, knew that she would die, he understood. She just wanted to live and she deserved to live. She had done nothing wrong. She was innocent, sweet, loved so many things. He couldn't think of anyone who deserved to live more. Because he'd gone and done the most stupid thing he could have done. He'd fallen in love with her. Loving her wasn't a bad thing per say. But he knew she would die. He didn't know when, or how bad it would be. He just knew. And it sucked. So in typical Stone family fashion, he pushed her away. He didn't want to get hurt when she was gone, even though he knew it would read his soul in two. So instead he put up a defensive wall and elected to let her get hurt. Every time she was hurt it felt like a blow to his stomach. Every time she cried he felt like someone had taken a blender to his insides. Every time she got a headache or nosebleed, when her time seemed closer, he felt like someone had scooped his insides hollow. Jake held back tears. He heard shuffling and then a loud groan. Before he could process, Ezekiel was sitting up, blinking rapidly.

"Hey Cassie." Jake said, shaking his companion. She stirred. "Look who woke up." Her eyes shot open.

"Ezekiel!" She squealed. She hugged him, causing him to groan again. "Sorry! I'll get Jenkins." She sprinted out of the room. Ezekiel stared at Jake.

"How long was I?" Ezekiel started.

"A day." Jenkins said briskly, walking in. "We gave you some healing oil, it helped."

"Oh."

"We'll um, go?" Jake said but it sounded like a question. "Come on Cassie." She nodded and they left.

"You were right, he's okay." Cassandra said. She linked arms with Jake. "Thank you for staying with me." Jake smiled.

"Hey, you trying to get out of the rest of those Disney movies?" He asked cheekily. She smiled and they went back to the cinema room.


	4. Chapter 4

The Thief and the Sorcerer

"How are you feeling?" Jenkins asked.

"Like I've been shot." Ezekiel grumbled.

"Well you were." Jenkins said rather tartly. "Other than the horrible pain in your abdomen, anything else I should know about?"

"I don't think so." Ezekiel said, wincing as he sat up and examined his injury. Jenkins slipped onto the chair next to him.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah." Ezekiel said, lying back and relaxing. Jenkins glanced at Carnwennan, which still lay on a table by Ezekiel.

"I'm glad you got that back." Jenkins said. "Very dangerous."

"Is it really that Carnwennan?" Ezekiel asked. "The dagger that shrouds users in shadows? Why has it got a white hilt if it uses shadows?" Jenkins shrugged.

"Merlin liked irony." He said.

"Emrys." Ezekiel corrected grumpily. "I know everyone calls him Merlin but my mum always said he was Emrys."

"When I knew him everyone but a select few called him Merlin. It was his name then and it stuck." Jenkins said, he was dying to bring up 'Uncle Emmy'.

"I knew someone called Emrys, he hated it when people asked if he was Merlin. He told me that his name was his identity and people shouldn't change that." Ezekiel muttered.

"Was he Merlin/Emrys, the Sorcerer I mean?" Jenkins asked. Ezekiel chuckled and stopped when it started hurting too much.

"I doubt it. He was a friend of my mum's and if he was Emrys he could have helped her." Ezekiel muttered darkly. Jenkins raised an eyebrow. Emrys had said himself that he knew Ezekiel and jumping in to save a dying lady, that was his style. It seemed strange that he hadn't.

"The Emrys I knew." Jenkins s began, ceding to the use of his real name. "Was a mischievous, irritating, sarcastic, lazy diva." Ezekiel rolled his eyes.

"Of course he was." Ezekiel said. "He's a really old, really powerful sorcerer. He hides behind that."

"Well it appears someone had a very unabridged version of the stories told to him." Jenkins said, slightly miffed. Ezekiel frowned.

"Emmy and my mum, they said something like, 'you'd hate it if everyone got your story wrong.' I agree." Ezekiel said. His eyes went downcast. He looked distressed. "Emmy said that if I asked Lady Viviane I could help my mum, but Emrys couldn't help me because he was trying to save the world." Jenkins made a choking sound.

"I know that Emrys is a Sorcerer but he doesn't spend all his time saving the world." Jenkins said. "He spends most of his time sleeping." Jenkins frowned. "Why do you call your Emrys, Emmy?"

"Because I couldn't say Emrys properly." Ezekiel huffed. He shifted slightly, trying to get in a more comfortable position. "I had a really strong accent and it came out as Emmy."

"I bet he loved that." Jenkins chuckled.

"Actually he found it endearing." Ezekiel shot back. "Emmy was a great guy. He even offered to look after me when... when I didn't have anywhere else to go." Jenkins raised an eyebrow. He didn't question it. Ezekiel was entitled to some private things.

"So instead you learned to steal." Jenkins said. There was no accusation in his tone. Ezekiel chuckled.

"Actually Emmy taught me how to steal. It started with pickpocketing. And then shoplifting. Then the bigger stuff." Ezekiel said. "Emmy was always better than me but whenever I pulled off a job on my own he was so proud. He said he'd keep an ear out for me." It did in no way surprise Jenkins that Emrys was connected to the underworld. For an excellent Sorcerer like him, crime was merely a way of entertainment. Of course introducing a child to those things was a bit much. "See me being a world class thief. It's my way of telling him I'm okay."

"So he hasn't embraced modern technology?" Jenkins asked.

"Oh he has. He just doesn't always have the same piece of technology." Ezekiel said with a small grin that screamed mischief. "Emmy is my best friend, kooky uncle and worst rival wrapped up in a mischievous, attractive lunatic." Jenkins snorted. Ezekiel, it appeared had cracked the enigma that was Emrys. And that didn't surprise him at all. Ezekiel didn't seem to have anything else to say and slumped down on the bed. Really he was thinking about all the detail he hadn't included. For as long as he could remember his mother had been sick. He didn't know exactly what it was. No one had shared it with him. Emrys had showed up one day and had pretty much stayed ever since. Ezekiel often wondered why, his mother had told him he felt responsible for her illness but Ezekiel wasn't sure how it could be his fault. Emrys had stayed and disappeared once in a while to earn money. But one time he hadn't left enough money. Ezekiel had gone out and stolen for the first time. He'd only just gotten away with it. When Emrys found out, Ezekiel was worried he'd be disappointed. He wasn't. In fact, Emrys was mildly impressed. He'd shown Ezekiel how to steal, how to run in a tight situation, taught him about escape plans and technology. He'd educated him in his own way. And Ezekiel felt all the smarter for it. Then his mum had found out. He expected a scolding, instead she told him about Camelot, King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. He loved the stories. And then the worst thing happened when he turned twelve. She died. Even Emrys hadn't been able to tell that she might pass away soon. It was sudden. That moment had seemed to last days, suffocating him, torturing him. Emrys had made the arrangements to bury her. He offered Ezekiel a home. He refused. He couldn't. He needed space. Emrys had nodded and given him the place she had been buried. It wasn't even in Australia. It was in Wales. Emrys said that it was where she had fallen in love and where she had lost it. Ezekiel had visited once, right after he joined MI6. It was by an old ruined castle. The people who ran the tours there had looked at him with mild pity when he said why he was there, someone had even taken him, told him how to get back, and left him to mourn. Ezekiel considered it, he'd been close when he went to get Carnwennan. As soon as he could move again, he was going. With that thought he drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The Guardian and the Librarian

"Ah my lovely Eve, how are you?" Flynn asked as he wandered in. Eve looked up from her desk, a hollow sort of expression on her face.

"Ezekiel got shot." She said. Flynn froze. He stared at Eve.

"Shot? Like with a gun?" He asked, just to be sure.

"Yes a gun." Eve snapped. "He was protecting me." She let out a chocking noise. Flynn half wanted to leave. He wasn't good with emotions. But it was Eve and he couldn't leave her.

"It wasn't your fault." He said. He hugged her and she clung to him. "It just means that he cares about you."

"I'm the one who's supposed to be protecting them. Not the other way around." Eve sniffed.

"Eve, my dear, Librarians die all the time. It's why I never wanted a Guardian. They're always forgotten and they always have to watch their Librarian die." Flynn looked at her. "And I could never let that happen to you."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep Librarian." Eve said through a tearful smile. Flynn gave a mock salute.

"I solemnly swear to, to the best of my ability, stay alive." He smiled at her goofily. "If only so I can see you smile one more time." Eve's smile widened and she kissed him. "You know what you need? A break."

"I don't think I should take one right now." Eve said, glancing in the general direction of the infirmary.

"No worries, I'm sure Jenkins can manage him." Flynn said, pulling her towards the back door. "You, me and a restaurant in Paris. I'll even get the bill."

"How nice of you." Eve said with a bemused look. "Let me change into something more appropriate." She used the back door to go to her home and changed into one of her nicer dresses. She did up her hair and applied some make up. When she came back, Flynn was in one of his usual suits, the lapel had a little yellow flower. His jaw dropped when he saw Eve.

"You look... fantastic." He said.

"Not too bad yourself." She said, linking arms with him. They stepped into Paris. Flynn pulled her along, guiding her through the crowded streets until they reached a quaint restaurant. Flynn held the door open for her and asked the host for a table for two. He pulled out Eve's chair. They dined like they had never dined before. There was laughter, love and joy. He told her exhilarating stories from before they met and she told him here. They swapped all the stories they could think of. Eve had been born to a military father and mother. They had raised her Christian but taught her to fight just as well as a man. Her father had died in the line of duty when she was 12, her mother had put up a strong front. She kept the household running. Eve helped look after her younger brother, teaching him exactly as their father would have. He'd joined the army and had died not long after. It had been a group of terrorists. She'd joined the NATO counter-terrorism unit as soon as possible. Her mother was still alive and they met a few times a year. She liked pancakes, coffee and guns. She may not be Flynn or Jake but she could read people and she knew her stuff. If she hadn't been military she would have been a cop or a gym teacher. Flynn hadn't known his father but his mother had spoiled him and loved him enough for two. He'd always been an odd child, finding comfort in books over people. He preferred the art of learning, living at home and staying in university. He loved being a Librarian. If he wasn't a Librarian he'd be a teacher. He liked waffles, books and history. They held hands, fed each other food and fell into a lull of comfortable silence. After the dessert was finished Flynn started fidgeting. He slowly got to his feet, but he'd mistimed it and head butted a waiter, whose tray went flying, covering another couple in water and glass. There was a lot of shrieking and Flynn yelled apologies in French. He felt at his pockets. And panicked even more. Eve stared as Flynn started crawling on the floor. Another waiter nearly tripped over him and swore loudly. Eve got to her feet, ready to drag Flynn from the restaurant. Flynn let out a yell of triumph.

"AHAH. I FOUND YOU!" He yelled. He shifted onto one knee and held the small box in his hand. "EVE!" He yelled. Eve came over and stared at that little box full of possibility. "You remember what I swore to do earlier?"

"To keep living so you can come back to me." She said breathlessly.

"Well, this is what I'm swearing on." Flynn said, opening the box to reveal a small silver ring with four sapphires and a big diamond. "Will you make me the happiest being alive and marry me?" Eve felt her heart stop. She knew it was coming and yet she felt like she couldn't see it coming. She took a deep breath.

"Yes Flynn. Yes." It was as if the world had stopped spinning, as if nothing else mattered. The apocalypse could have started and they wouldn't have noticed. Flynn leapt to his feet and captured Eve in the second longest kiss they'd ever shared.

"Well Miss Eve Baird, soon to be Carson, we have a wedding to plan."


	6. Chapter 6

The Guardian and The Thief

"Ezekiel, how do you feel?" Eve asked as she saw Ezekiel moving around in their kitchen.

"Better. Thanks." He said, shuffling to the microwave. He pulled out the popcorn and began munching. "What have I missed?"

"Well... I have some news." Eve said slowly. "I'm getting married!" She squealed slightly. She'd told Cassandra and shared a girly moment. Flynn had told Jake and they'd had a fist bump. They'd told Jenkins together and he'd congratulated them. Ezekiel dropped his bowl and it smashed on the floor.

"To Flynn?" He asked. Eve nodded. "That's great. I'm so happy for you. Really. If you need me to nick anything for the wedding just ask."

"Coming from you Ezekiel that means a lot." Eve said. "You'll come to the wedding, won't you?"

"Course." Ezekiel said easily. He slipped into a chair.

"Ezekiel are you okay?" Eve asked.

"Yeah. Course." He muttered.

"Are you sure?" Eve asked, sliding into a seat. "You look... distressed. You can talk to me Ezekiel."

"I just feel a bit..." Ezekiel trailed off. "You know when you feel like you're dying?"

"Yes." Eve said simply.

"I started thinking about everything I regret. Things I haven't done. Things I haven't shared. Places I should go to." He said quickly as if ripping off a bandage.

"I know." Eve said simply. She had felt like she would die. She had been there and it made her feel hollow. So she did what she thought was right. Her conscience was clear.

"Thought you might." Ezekiel muttered. He rubbed his face. "I want to take you somewhere."

"Right now?" Eve asked. Ezekiel looked at her.

"Is that a problem?" He asked.

"No, I was just checking." She said.

"Great. Give me a few minutes to... to get ready." He said before shuffling off to find some things. Eve went to the back door and waited. Ezekiel returned the minutes later, clutching a bouquet of white roses.

"Where are we going?" Eve asked.

"You'll see." Ezekiel said cryptically, before pulling the door open and walking through. They were in some kind of castle that tourists would visit. The lady at the desk stared at them for a moment until a matronly woman came out and did a double take at the sight of Ezekiel.

"Have we met?" She asked in a thick Welsh accent.

"Yes, just over ten years ago. I'm Ezekiel." Ezekiel said nervously. The woman frowned at him.

"I haven't seen you in a while." She said in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I know. I've been... living my life how they would want me to." He said carefully. She eyed him and didn't seem able to detect any lying so she nodded mutely.

"I'll take you where you want to go." She said. Ezekiel and Eve followed her outside to the private bit of the castle. There were graves there of varying ages. Some were newer, others older. "Our benefactor specially requested that she be entered here. After all she-."

"Found her love and lost it." Ezekiel finished. The woman nodded approvingly. She led them into the graveyard to a fairly new headstone. It was white marble, etched with two willow trees. It read:

Here rests Sun-Mi

A Mother, Wife and dear Friend

May this new adventure bring her back to her love

The woman left them. Ezekiel put the flowers on the grave.

"Is this your mother's grave?" Eve asked, feeling her throat constrict. Ezekiel nodded mutely.

"She passed away when I was twelve." He said bleakly. "I miss her."

"Of course you do." Eve said. "That's normal." Ezekiel smiled slightly.

"I know it is." He said.

"Is your father here too?" She asked softly. Ezekiel frowned.

"No. I can't really remember my dad. I don't have a name either. My mum said that he died fighting and that he loved me." He said slowly. "They met here though. And according to Emmy I was born here. I don't remember it though."

"You must have been young when you moved." Eve said lightly. Ezekiel shrugged.

"Mum probably couldn't stand being here without dad." He said.

"Ezekiel. What am I here?" Eve asked.

"I haven't taken anyone here before. Barely anyone knows that she's even dead." Ezekiel said. He looked at Eve. There was a look in his eyes that stopped her from looking away. It was a look of someone who'd seen too much in a short time, much like the look Jenkins gave her. "With you getting married to Flynn and everything, I figured no time like the present."

"For what?" Eve asked.

"To tell you how I feel." Ezekiel said simply. Eve nearly stopped breathing. Her heart was thudding.

"And how do you feel?" She asked. Ezekiel sat in front of the grave and traced the letter with his finger.

"You're the closest to a mother I've had in a long time. I know that you and Flynn might want to start a family. But I just wanted you to know that." Ezekiel grinned at the headstone. "You're my Momma Baird." Eve chuckled.

"That's fine by me." She said. "You still haven't told me why I'm here."

"To show you that I mean it." He said. "And you know, to see if my mum would raise herself from the dead and bless you, curse you, or threaten to haunt you."

"Your mother believed in magic didn't she." Eve said with a bemused expression. Ezekiel had, after all, adapted quickly to magic.

"She believed in Camelot more than anything. I swear it's almost like she lived there." Ezekiel pulled a face. "She told me I was magic."

"Her way of saying your special?" Eve guessed. Ezekiel laughed.

"Her way of saying I was a drama queen." He corrected. "Apparently, all the magic users are."

"Shall I leave you here?" Eve asked. She really like the sound of Ezekiel's mother. She wished she could have met her.

"Please." Ezekiel said as he went back to tracing the letters. Eve nodded and walked back to the back door. As she stepped through it hit her just how much trust Ezekiel had put in her. He loved her and she loved him. Blood or no blood. He was her child. End of.


	7. Chapter 7

The Scientist and the Knight

"Mr Jenkins!" Cassandra exclaimed.

"Yes Miss Cillian?" The caretaker asked, looking up at the bouncing red head.

"Did you hear?" She squealed.

"If you are referring to Mr Carson and Colonel Baird's engagement then yes I have." He said rather sharply. Cassandra stopped hopping around. She slowly turned to stare at him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Fine." He responded waspishly.

"Is it about the wedding?" She asked. Jenkins stared at her for a few minutes. He didn't normally divulge personal information but Cassandra was giving him the eyes and he was a sucker for a puppy dog expression.

"He's a Librarian. She's a Guardian. It's likely one of them will die. They shouldn't be getting married." He said huffily. That seemed like a reasonable answer. Just enough snark and well meaning to get Cassandra moving on. Maybe he'd go mope to Ezekiel later. Apparently Cassandra did not think this was an acceptable answer once again proving that she was more observant than she looked.

"What is it really?" She asked. "You can tell me, I won't tell anyone else." She made it sound childish.

"You won't tell anyone?" Jenkins mused, as if he found the idea of Cassandra keeping her mouthful shut amusing.

"I can keep a secret. I know lots of things. I just don't share them." She said. She totted over to Jenkins and rested a hand on his arm. He found himself compelled to answer.

"I was married once." He said stiffly. Cassandra held his hand. "A long time ago. It didn't end well, and I don't want to see others repeat my mistakes."

"Eve and Flynn love each other." Cassandra said softly. "I'm sure it will end well for them."

"My wife and I loved each other too. She was everything to me. She sweet, kind, gentle, but sharp as a whip. And when she laughed, it sounded like the best piece of music ever composed. She found me more amusing than I found her. She said I was funny. She made me feel like I could hold the weight of the world on my shoulders without a sweat." Jenkins said sadly. He had loved her so much. He would have died for her. Cassandra quickly wiped some tears from her eyes. Jenkins found some comfort in the fact that she cried for him. For his loss. "I know Eve and Flynn love each other, but that doesn't mean a happy ending." Cassandra dabbed her eyes.

"What happened?" She asked. Again Jenkins felt the compulsion to answer.

"I don't know. One day I had to leave, to fight for my king. When I returned my home was in ruins and she was gone. I thought she had fled but I was told she hadn't. I suppose it would have been difficult." Jenkins said chocking back the tears. Cassandra hugged him tightly. Normally he would have rejected such a thing but he wouldn't bring himself to do it.

"Why would it have been difficult for her to leave?" Cassandra asked curiously. This time his compulsion to answer was over powered by his need to protect that. He couldn't answer. Instead he walked away. He let out a small sob in his room. He hadn't just lost a wife that day. He'd lost his son. The boy had been his little light. His life. It had drained away and he hadn't felt whole since. His boy had only been three. Too young to really understand what was going on. He had called for his tad* and had cried when he left. His sweet little boy. Forever laid to rest.

*tad means dad


	8. Chapter 8

**I've decided from the bottom of my heart to dedicate this entire fanfiction to three people. These people have stuck with it, not pestered me about my inability to update, and even supported me. I sincerely dedicate this entire work to: Fangirlandtheories, Andersler1409 and The Lady Bath. Without you three being so supportive and writing reviews pretty much every time I update (especially you Andersler1409) I don't know if I would have been as motivated.**

 **Andersler1409: The thing about the Miss Saigon, it's kinda a Miss Saigon but not quite a Miss Saigon and tbh a lot more complicated with a lot less remarrying.**

The Librarian and the Historian

"Hey man." Jake said, clapping a frazzled looking Flynn on the shoulder. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I just didn't know how much planning went into a wedding. Eve's making me sample at least thirty types of cake and ice cream. Then I have to start looking at napkin designs and shapes. I may go mad." Flynn said so fast that Jake had trouble keeping up.

"Well, why don't we go find an artefact or something then? Guys time out." Jake suggested.

"Do you want to invite Ezekiel and Jenkins too?" Flynn asked.

"Nah, Jones is recovering and Jenkins wants to keep an eye on him." Jake said airily. "We can go, I'm sure the Library's got something in mind." At that very moment the clippings book gave a little shuffle. Flynn pounced on it.

"Oooo, someone managed to get their hands on a Philosopher's stone." He said.

"Like the Harry Potter one or the actual one?" Jake asked.

"Like the actual one, turn lead into gold." Flynn frowned. "There's a nasty side effect though. The more you use it the more people around you start to lose their energy. Wonder why, doesn't seem like the normal effect. Unless... oh, but there hasn't been one of those for centuries. Oh, my."

"What?" Jake urged. He was freaked out a bit.

"Arcane magic. The oldest and probably the most dangerous kind. This stone has to be pretty ancient." Flynn said. He glanced at Jake. "Most magic we deal with could be considered modern. Anything post 1500 BC really. Then people started being a bit more careful, less reckless. Of course, some people used 'modern magic' even before it became more normal." Flynn paused. "Some Arcane magics are quite useful, and a lot of legends come from that time, not written but a lot of the legends we hear were passed from times when monsters walked freely with man." Flynn frowned slightly at the clippings book. "Strange thing is. Philosophers stones aren't Arcane, they're pretty modern, from when gold was being valued. The person who made this knows some pretty sophisticated magic."

"All the more reason for us to get it then." Jake said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Great, we're going to Edinburgh." Flynn announced as he spun the back door and opened it.

"Edinburgh?" Jake asked. "I thought somewhere like Egypt would be more Arcane."

"Don't be so surprised Jake, Scotland is home to a lot of old legends and ancient magic. In fact, Scotland has a fascinating history." Flynn said, looking as though he would love to go into it.

"I know, I just didn't think it was an alchemy, magic history." Jake muttered, cutting off the lecture. He honestly could imagine Flynn as a teacher that went off on tangents. Maybe if Flynn decided to have a stable, safe career so he and Eve could start a family he would teach. They stepped into Scotland and tried to make it look like two men emerging from a pub bathroom at the same moment was normal.

"Excuse me, could you direct us to the river Leith?" Flynn asked the bar tender.

"Uh, the Water of Leith." Jake corrected. The bar tender gave them a grouchy look.

"Tourists?" He grunted. "Yeah, the Water of Leith is 'bout half a mile to the west. There are signs pointing to it." He went back to pouring a pint.

"Thank you." Jake said, ushering Flynn out. "The river Leith in Edinburgh is called the Water of Leith. I mean everyone knows what you're talking about but we have to be specific."

"Alright." Flynn muttered. "This way is West." They trekked along the streets of Edinburgh until they reach an embankment. The stone didn't even take long to find. They went to the most gilded, glowing house and sure enough the man inside was crying. There was a woman lying on the floor, pale and dying.

"Please. Please." He whimpered. "Our wee little boy needs his mama. Please Catherine."

"Excuse me." Jake said. The man nearly jumped. He clung to the woman's body protectively.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"We're the Librarians." Flynn said. Jake came over to the woman and took her pulse.

"She's still got a pulse." He said. He saw the little yellow stone in the man's hand and jerked his head at it. Flynn got the message.

"Sir, that stone in your hand. Let us take it. It's what's causing this." He said.

"That man gave it to me. He said it would help me. I thought it was so good but my Catherine. I'll kill him if I ever see him again." The man said, his voice turning sharp.

"We deal with mad people like him. Tell us who this is and we'll get him." Flynn said.

"I don't know his name. He had black hair and his eyes had two colours. One bright blue and the other cat green." The man said. He looked tearfully at his wife. "Please help her." Jake took the stone from him.

"If we reverse the effects of this, then she should be okay?" Jake directed at Flynn. Flynn took the stone.

"I'm sure I can reverse the effects of this if I take into account the power source and the specific uses..." He started, trailing off into ramblings that Jake only half understood. He let Flynn get on with it. He helped the man carry his wife to a sofa and placed her in a comfortable position. Flynn was nattering in the corner and things were changing from gold to metal.

"So this guy?" Jake asked.

"I didn't know him. If I had to guess, I'd say he was foreign, see he had this, Mediterranean? Look I guess. And he had an accent, a bit weird, like loads of accents mixed together." The man said.

"Thanks." Jake said. Flynn let out a triumphant noise and suddenly colour flooded into Catherine's face. She sat up and gasped.

"Andrew? Andrew what happened?" She asked. "James? Where is my wee boy?"

"He's fine. He's upstairs." Andrew said. He was crying. "I'm so glad you're alive."

"Next time a strange man offers you a solution to job loss, don't accept it." Catherine deadpanned.

"Fine by me." Andrew said with a smile. Flynn and Jake awkwardly backed out. It seemed like a family moment. They started heading back to the pub to get back to the Library. On the way Flynn accidentally bumped into someone. He was so nervous. He was this close to snapping.

"Flynn calm down." Jake said. "You're going to bowl half the street over."

"Sorry. It's just..." Flynn muttered. "Jake. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jake said, stopping in the street. It sounded important.

"The wedding." Flynn said. Jake had a mild panic, he hoped Flynn wasn't having second thoughts.

"What about it?" Jake asked.

"Willyoubemybestman?" Flynn asked.

"What?" Jake asked, not quite catching it.

"Will you be my best man?" He asked. Jake stared at him.

"You're asking me?" Jake said, taking a deep breath. "I'm... honoured. Yes. Of course, I'll be your best man."

"Whew. That's a load off." Flynn breathed. "One job down, six thousand to go."

When they got back Flynn went back to the wedding planning. He felt his pockets and instead of finding the stone he found a note.

'Thanks for the find

Just remember Librarian,

I'm watching you.'

Flynn stared at it in alarm, he turned it over and there was another note.

'Watch out for Lancie and Morgan.'

Flynn stared at the note and let out a disgruntled noise of rage.


	9. Chapter 9

The Librarian and the Scientist

Cassandra danced through the annex. Eve had just asked her to be the Maid of Honour! She'd practically screamed yes at Eve. She had responsibilities. She and Eve would go dress shopping. They would pick out the things that Flynn wasn't sure about. Correct things. It was going to be the best wedding. Not that she had been to many weddings. But Eve was her best friend and she was going to try her best.

"Hey Flynn!" She said, very bubbly. Flynn looked up with a smile.

"Cassandra, how are you?" He asked.

"I'm great! Eve just asked me to be the maid of honour." She squealed.

"Wonderful. I've asked Jake to be my best man." Flynn said. "And since Eve doesn't have a father anymore, she's asked Jenkins to walk her down the aisle." Cassandra made a weird noise and tears pricked at her eyes.

"That's great. I'm sure he'll love that." She said.

"Cassandra, I've been meaning to ask. I found this note in my pocket after a mission." Flynn said, handing her the note. He'd carried it around almost religiously. Cassandra stared at the note and turned it over.

"Morgan?" She breathed. "As in Morgan Le Fay? And Lancie must be Lancelot." She paused. "I'd show this to Jenkins or Ezekiel. They know the most about Arthurian legends."

"I'll ask Jenkins then." Flynn muttered, taking the note back and slipping it into his pocket. "Cassandra, one other thing."

"Yes?" She asked curiously.

"Uh you and Jake... I'm not trying to be intrusive but um, you seem close?" Flynn mumbled.

"Oh." Cassandra said with surprise. She flushed a little. "He's nice, a really good friend. Yes, really nice. Always helps me and listens to me. Very good." She trailed off awkwardly. She was crimson.

"So you and Jake haven't thought about um, pursuing a relationship?" Flynn asked. Really it shouldn't bother him, but Cassandra was his favourite. She was like a little sister and he wanted to protect her.

"Oh um... I haven't really... I didn't think... with my head... I mean the tumour. I just... I'd rather not talk about it." She stuttered. She practically fled the room, blushing scarlet. Only when she was in the depths of the Library did she calm down. Flynn had no right to ask her that! So, what if she liked Jake? So, what if every time she imagined herself marrying him, having kids when she slept? It was nothing to do with Flynn! She couldn't have it. She couldn't ever have that. She loved him too much to put him through the pain of losing her. It would hurt enough when she died. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't. She couldn't. She loved him too much. Flynn was still sitting in the Annex realising he'd made a faux pas. He felt horrible. She was dying and he asked if she'd considered getting married! For a genius he could be an idiot. Flynn pulled out the note again. He stormed off to find Jenkins.


	10. Chapter 10

The Historian and the Guardian

Jake wandered around the reading room. He heard sobbing in the corner. He wasn't sure who it was or why someone was crying but he figured he should help. Everyone in the Library was a friend to him. Well, Ezekiel was more of an accepted acquaintance and he didn't hang out with Jenkins. He went over to the noise and was surprised to see Eve curled up, crying. Her face was puffy and red.

"Eve. Uh Colonel Baird?" Jake asked. Eve's head shot up and she stared at Jake. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said. Her voice was surprisingly calm. "Do you need something?"

"Eve if there's something wrong, you can tell me." Jake assured her. He didn't want her to think she couldn't rely on him. She was stressed a lot about them, the wedding and Ezekiel getting hurt. "We can keep it between us."

"It's nothing." Eve said, furiously wiping the tears away. Jake sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Fine then, let's talk about nothin'." He said. Eve slumped on his shoulder.

"Flynn and I picked a date, August." Eve said, sniffling slightly. "And my mom just got back to me."

"She can come, right?" Jake asked. He didn't know much about mother Baird but he knew Eve loved her and that was enough.

"Yes." Eve said. "But I just started thinking about my dad and my brother and how they can't be with me. I don't know if they would approve of Flynn but I know that they would have just accepted him because he makes me happy. But I wanted Flynn to meet them. I wanted to be walked down the aisle by my dad. Jenkins is wonderful but he isn't my dad. I wanted my brother to be there, to tease me about getting married because I said I wouldn't when I was a kid. I want them to laugh and cry with me as it happens." Eve started crying again. "I just want them to know I'm happy." Jake squeezed her shoulders and rubbed them. She cried hard into his shoulder. She cried all the unshed tears of the family she lost. It took time for her to calm down and Jake stayed there for her.

"Eve, I'm not going to pretend that I understand what you're going through. I do know that it's tough." Jake said soothingly. "But you are strong Eve. You're going to go and get married to the man you love. You're going to own that aisle and that day. You're going to go there and you're going to have the best wedding ever. And do you know why Eve?" Eve stared at him. "Because you are strong. And when you walk up that aisle, you're doing it for them. I don't know if there's a heaven. But I know that your brother and your dad would be happy for you. Hell, even grumpy Jenkins is happy for you." Eve let out a choked laugh.

"Thanks Jake." She said with a smile. She rubbed away the tears that were still there. "I think I just needed someone to tell me that I'm going to have a good wedding."

"We all need to be comforted sometimes." Jake said. He smiled at Eve. "You do so much for us. I don't mind being a comfort to you sometimes." They stood up and Eve gave him a hug. If she held him a bit longer and tighter than normal, he didn't say. She needed it.

"You're a good friend Jake." She said kindly, and walked off. Jake felt pretty good. He'd cheered Eve up. He went back to the Annex and started going over catalogues with a slight skip in his step.


	11. Chapter 11

**Andersler1409: That would be a yes. See the Philosopher's Stone is an idea in alchemy. Therefore, it is possible for more than one stone to exist at any given time. The stone in this AU is made with Arcane magic, hence the soul draining, and therefore a lot more dangerous.**

The Knight and the Historian

"Ah Mr Stone, good to see you." Jenkins said. "You shall be glad to hear that Ezekiel is completely healed."

"Wonderful." Jake grunted. Jenkins stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I should think so." He said. "And are you going to see him?"

"What?" Jake snapped. "I'm busy."

"With what?" Jenkins asked shrewdly. He thought that their youngest teammate being fit and healthy again would qualify some celebration.

"The best man speech." Jake groaned. "I don't know a lot about Flynn. I don't know what to write."

"Hmm, well given that there are normal people at the wedding talking about his adventures in the mythical sense will make us seem insane." Jenkins pondered. No wonder Jake was so stressed. He'd seen the same thing happen to many Knight's who'd been ask to speak on behalf of their friends. His own best man had been Merlin. It had been a surprisingly warm, well worded and endearing speech, then again Merlin had been best man at Arthur's wedding so he had some practice. Jenkins himself had avoided those speeches like the plague. "Perhaps talk about him as a person? How he and Eve fell in love?"

"Yeah, except I don't know much about him as a guy. Maybe Flynn should have asked someone else to be his best man." Jake said, feeling guilty when he realised how little he knew about his co-worker.

"Nonsense." Jenkins said briskly. "If Flynn asked you to be his best man then you are the right person for the job. Let's see if I can lend a hand."

"Have you ever written one of these?" Jake asked hopefully.

"No, but I have been to a lot of weddings and I have a general idea." Jenkins said, sitting at the table and staring at the page. "So how are you going to introduce it?"

"I was thinking 'dearly beloved we are gathered here today' but then I remembered that's what the minister is going to say." Jake said sheepishly. "So maybe I'll start with 'friends and family, we are here to celebrate the union of two of the best people I've ever had the good fortune to meet.' How does that sound?"

"Hmm, yes I think that gives a nice impression." Jenkins said. "Alright, why don't you talk about how you met Flynn and what you thought of him, and how you met Eve and what you thought of her?" He suggested. Jake nodded and started scribbling out some lines and Jenkins looked over his shoulder, making little comments: 'I wouldn't call him a ditz' and 'are you sure you want to refer to the Colonel as badass?' and 'I'm sure they'll like that'.

"Alright, so far so good." Jake muttered. "So if I've talked about them, wat else should I do?"

"Tell a story about them, tell one that involves you as well." Jenkins suggested, a slight grin appeared on his face. "Tell everyone how Flynn proposed." Jake grinned evilly and started scribbling down the rest of the speech. When he was done, he cleared his throat and looked at Jenkins. He then began to read.

"Friends and family, we are here to celebrate the union of the two best people I've ever had the fortune to meet. I met Eve and Flynn around the same time, when they offered me a job at The Library. After learning that the Library not only stored an extensive list, but also relics and artefacts, I couldn't have said yes fast enough. It was the best decision I ever made. Not just because of what I've been able to do but also because I have made two of the best friends possible. When I met Flynn, I felt close to him already. We shared an interest in history, art and languages. He introduced me to a whole new world of information. Although I'll admit, he can be a bit of an airhead. I'm sure most of you know he will quite happily talk your ear off about any subject under the sun. Honestly, meeting Eve felt like a breath of fresh air. She is calm, collected and more importantly has enough common sense for the both of them. When I found out they were dating I was surprised, they seemed to be polar opposites. But then I realised, Flynn is adventurous and daring and Eve is reserved and logical. Together, she could keep him safe and he could keep her busy. Of course, I am Flynn's best man, but I feel as though Eve and Flynn are two parts of a whole, you can't discuss one without the other. So now friends and family, I wish to tell you about some of the things I've seen and the times we've shared. Probably my favourite story was when we went to Italy. I will admit to making a total ass of myself and getting myself banned from a museum, but Flynn was right there with me. Of course, then Eve came in, knocked our heads together and told us to sit down and shut it. These moments remind me of good they are together. I wonder, who here knows how Flynn proposed? Because I got to hear it in full detail, and let me tell you, it is completely Flynn and Eve. They had just finished their meal and Flynn got up to propose. But he headbutted the waiter and the ring vanished. Flynn then gets on the floor and starts searching for the ring, which is cataclysmic enough. Eve's on her feet, ready to pull him out and pay for the damages, when he screams her name for half the city to hear. He then proposes and they are promptly ushered out and told never to return. That is just typical Flynn. Despite the occasional mayhem and odd accidents, I love these two completely. I could not be more honoured to be Flynn's best man. Nor could I be more honoured to be their friend. I wish them a long, happy, hopefully not too hectic, life together."


	12. Chapter 12

The Thief and the Scientist

"Ezekiel, I'm so glad you're better!" Cassandra squealed. She gave him a massive hug. He reciprocated. "So what have you been doing?"

"Watching movies, reading." Ezekiel said. "How have you lot managed to survive without me and my awesomeness?"

"We managed." Cassandra said brightly. "Only just. We haven't done many missions and we've mostly planned the wedding."

"Ah yes, picked out the gowns yet?" Ezekiel teased lightly as they walked into the main room of the Annex.

"Not just yet, Eve and I are going to get them about a week before the wedding." Cassandra said. "We want to be sure we'll fit."

"I seriously doubt you'll gain five pounds before the wedding." Ezekiel pointed out. They settled into comfy chairs. Cassandra started reading a book, no doubt some mathsy sciencey book. Ezekiel was reading too, only he was reading something in a language Cassandra didn't recognise. She'd not really thought about but she supposed that Ezekiel didn't look like the Aussies you saw on TV. He definitely looked more like he came from Far East Asia. They sat in silence.

"Does it make you think about it?" Cassandra asked. Ezekiel glanced up, a quizzical look on his face. "Getting married I mean."

"Is that an offer?" Ezekiel asked with all the cheek he could muster. Cassandra blushed slightly.

"I didn't mean me. I meant just the concept of marriage in general."

She corrected.

"I don't think I want to." Ezekiel said honestly.

"Why not?" Cassandra asked. She thought Ezekiel would want to get married, if he found that special someone.

"Because it's just a bit of paper. I don't need the government to tell me how much I love someone." Ezekiel said.

"Well I considered that but marriage also provides many securities and privileges." Cassandra countered. Ezekiel snorted.

"You know Emrys?" He asked.

"Who?" Cassandra asked.

"He'd be Merlin to you." Ezekiel said. Cassandra nodded. "Look way back in Camelot time he had a whole string of lovers. Then he met Viviane. He fell in love with her, gave her a promise ring and never cheated on her. They didn't need to be married for her to know that Emrys loved her. He liked sleeping around and he gave it up for her."

"I don't think people should sleep around too much anyway." Cassandra said, wrinkling her nose slightly. The thought of an old Sorcerer sleeping with anyone made her cringe. "It would be messy and not to mention all the infections they would get."

"Cassie that's not the point." Ezekiel said. "I'm saying that you don't need to be married to know you're in love."

"Are you happy for Eve and Flynn?" She asked shrewdly.

"Of course I am. They want to get married and I'm happy for them." Ezekiel said. "Marriage is good for some people but not for everyone." Cassandra nodded. That was a fair point. Ezekiel probably thought that marriage would tie him down to one place or person. And Ezekiel was all about freedom. "What about you?"

"Is that an offer?" Cassandra shot back. Ezekiel had to hold back a snort. It wasn't that he didn't like Cassandra, he really did. But as a friend. Once upon a time he may have fallen in love with her. But Emmy and his mum had told him all about Morgan, instilling a fear of red heads into him for the rest of his life. Cassandra wasn't Morgan. She was kind and sweet. But she loved Jake and anyone with a pair of eyes could see that. Except Jake.

"No. I meant you and Jake." Ezekiel said softly. Cassandra flushed.

"Why does everyone want to know how I feel about him?" She muttered. Ezekiel shrugged. She cleared her throat. "I couldn't do that to him. I like him too much to marry him and die on him."

"Okay so don't marry him." Ezekiel said casually. "You could still date him."

"But he'd still be upset when I die." Cassandra said. Ezekiel winced slightly at the use of 'when'.

"It's going to upset him either way. In fact, it may actually be worse for him." Ezekiel said. "See he likes you and if you die and he never tells you or you never tell him, he'll probably regret it for the rest of his life. And that will make him miserable." Cassandra was surprised at the bitter tone in Ezekiel's voice. It probably meant that he had regrets too. And they hurt.

"Let's say we date. Get married. Have kids." Cassandra started, dipping into her fantasies. "And then suddenly I'm dead. What then?"

"Well the cowboy will blubber but we'll get him through." Ezekiel said thoughtfully. Cassandra punched his shoulder. "Hey! Okay we'd all be upset but we'd pull each other through because we know you'd want us to. As for the kids, what you think we'll just abandon them to starve or something?" Cassandra smiled, tears pricking at her eyes.

"Thank you Ezekiel." She whispered.

"No problem Cassie." Ezekiel said. They went back to reading their books. Cassandra had a small smile on her face while Ezekiel had his usual Cheshire Cat grin.


	13. Chapter 13

The Guardian and the Sorcerer

Eve was out, alone for once. She was picking flowers for the wedding and this was one decision she wanted full reign over. She had just the bouquet it kind and didn't want anyone to change it. Then she was going to meet Cassandra later and they were going to get the dresses. Eve had already spoken about what she wanted her dress to look like and Cassandra had a few ideas. She was just examining the ivy trails when someone stood right behind her.

"I've always found ivy a very appropriate choice for a wedding bouquet." They said. She span around and found herself face to face with a handsome young man. His eyes were two different colours. One was a clean lake blue, the other a cat green. His black hair was spiked and he had a very even tan. His features were sharp in a way that made him even more appealing and his pink lips were parted slightly, showing pearly white teeth. Of course, Eve recognised him. Or at least she'd heard the description from Flynn when he told her about Scotland. His accent did sound foreign but she couldn't place it. "I assume then that you will use white roses?"

"Who are you?" Eve asked, slightly irritated that he'd guessed that. Yes, ivy and roses were a common combination but she had some other things to add.

"Just a casual observer." He said with an expressive shrug. Eve's eyes narrowed.

"Cut the bull, I know you took the stone from Flynn in Scotland." She said sharply. The man looked mildly amused.

"Ah he told you about that, did he?" He asked. "The whole team or just you?"

"That's none of your business." Eve said. The man chuckled, it sounded like wind chimes tinkling in a mild breeze.

"I think Guardian, you'll find that it is." He said. "If your, hmm, airhead of a Librarian is still being territorial and keeping certain people out of the group... well things are going to end very badly indeed." He walked over to a stand full of carnations.

"What do you mean 'end badly'?" Eve asked suspiciously. "And Flynn doesn't keep anyone out."

"Hmm I think these would look nice in the bouquet." The man pondered. Eve glared at him. "To answer your question I mean end of the world badly. And I do mean a realistic chance of it ending." He paused and started moving flowers around, taking the ivy, white roses, white carnations, some lavender and some purple salvia. He started arranging them. "And I think you'll find that your soon to be husband does leave people out. Why Ezekiel must despair at the thought of you marrying Flynn."

"Ezekiel." Eve said sharply. "You know Ezekiel?" Then it clicked. Ezekiel had mentioned someone at his mother's grave. Emmy. She had assumed it was a girl's name. "You would be Emmy." The man looked round at her.

"Yes, well my name is Emrys but that seemed a little difficult for kids." The man said as if expecting some kind of recognition.

"Em- sorry. Emrys?" Eve tested on her tongue. It was an unfamiliar word. Emrys sighed.

"To you plebeians it would be Merlin." He said looking rather miffed. Eve's eyes went wide.

"You mean the Merlin from Camelot?" She asked. Emrys gave an impatient nod. Her eyes darkened. "If you knew Ezekiel, then you knew his mother." There was another nod. "And you didn't help her?" Emrys looked like she was stabbing him in the gut. Good she thought.

"I admit that I knew her, but there was nothing I could have done. Magic or no magic. She was a dead woman walking." He said, looking like it killed him just to get the words out.

"And why is that?" Eve asked.

"None of your concern Guardian." Emrys said sharply. She felt satisfied to have gotten a proper response from him. "Besides that's not why I'm here."

"Enlighten me then." Eve said with a sigh.

"Something is coming and is going to cost you heavily no matter what you do. All you can do is change what it is that you'll lose." He said with such finality Eve wished she had the cheery one back. "Of course a Librarian and the Guardian will always face danger and tragedy but I doubt you've seen anything like this."

"And what is this thing?" Eve asked.

"Telling you won't help you, in fact in may hinder you. You're going to have to rely on new things for this, untested things. Best not be caught up in the past." Emrys said. He stared at Eve. "I would also advise keeping an eye on Cassandra."

"Why?" Eve asked, bewildered at the change of topic.

"She may not be fully aware of it but she has an aptitude for magic." Emrys said. He looked bitter. "I once knew someone like her and she turned into a menace. Cassandra is using her magic, whether she is aware she is or not is another matter, but you must warn her against doing anything reckless. Some of the Ladies of the Lake would quite like to nab her and they can get pretty nasty." He said this quickly as if Eve would feel better having it shoved down her throat.

"So what do I do?" She asked.

"Keep an eye on her and tell her groups would be interested in her." Emrys said.

"And the other problem?" Eve asked.

"Stick together Eve, unity is often the strongest power we possess as a species. Keep them close." Emrys said. He handed her the bouquet. She gasped, it was perfect. The ivy trailed like a waterfall. Six roses were in a circle, one in the middle. The carnations made a circle around it. Lavender and salvia dotted the rest of the bouquet. It looked perfect to her. It was as if Emrys had pulled the image right from her head.

"Thank you." She said.

"My pleasure Eve." He said. He bowed lightly. "Congratulations by the way." Eve stared at the bouquet and then looked up. Emrys was gone and the florist was walking over ready to look at the finished product.


	14. Chapter 14

The Thief and the Historian

"Hey man." Jake said. Ezekiel looked up and half grinned at the cowboy. He knew how Cassandra felt, now time to play match maker. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks." Ezekiel said. He thought about how best to bring it up. "How'd you guys do without my awesome?"

"Pretty well actually." Jake shot back. "Course, we didn't take many jobs, but that's just cause Cassie was fretting about you." Ezekiel's grin widened.

"You and Cassandra just couldn't manage without me." He said teasingly. It was perfect. Jake had brought her up.

"Cassie and I could'a managed fine." Jake grumbled.

"Huh. I would have thought you'd have loved some alone time with her." Ezekiel said casually, letting the comment hang.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jake asked, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing much." Ezekiel said. "I figured you might like to spend some time without me there. Talk things out."

"What things?" Jake asked curiously. Ezekiel wondered if he should feel bad for enjoying this but shoved that aside.

"Talk about you and Cassandra, where your relationship stands." Ezekiel said lazily.

"What relationship?" Jake asked. "You think we're dating or something?" Ezekiel chuckled.

"You'd like to be." He said. "Or am I wrong?" Jake opened his mouth to retort but he wasn't a brilliant liar. He'd been raised with morals that said lying was bad. So he liked Cass. What was he meant to do?

"Doesn't mean anything." He said dismissively. Ezekiel rolled his eyes and let out a long suffering sigh.

"Oh please. Everyone knows you like her. I'm pretty sure the Chupacabra knows you like her." He said.

"Even I know you like her." Came a soft and silky voice. Jake nearly had a heart attack.

"Carnwennan, what have I said about scaring people?" Ezekiel asked the dagger that was sitting on the table.

"Not to." The dagger chirped. "But it's just soooooo obvious." Ezekiel snorted.

"Good point Carn." Ezekiel said.

"You have a talking dagger." Jake spluttered.

"Great powers of observation mate." Ezekiel said sarcastically. "Stop trying to change the subject."

"You have a talking dagger." Jake repeated. "How did that happen?"

"I dunno." Ezekiel said, realising Jake probably wouldn't drop it. "After I woke up properly I started hearing a voice. Turns out it was Carn. He's a right little minx."

"So the dagger Carnwennan talks to you and follows you around?" Jake asked.

"Like a demented puppy." Ezekiel agreed.

"That's not fair, why did it chose to follow you?" Jake asked. He wanted a talking dagger. "King Arthur wielded that, it should be for someone more honourable."

"You're forgetting that the person who made it was Emrys." Ezekiel said with a snort.

"My creator loves his irony." Carnwennan agreed. "See, I can shroud my chosen wielder in shadows. I think a thief would benefit from that more than a cowboy." Apparently the dagger had taken Ezekiel's stance on everything.

"Exactly." Ezekiel said with a nod. "Besides, I'm honourable in the loosest sense. I don't lie, I don't steal from the poor." Jake nodded slightly.

"Who's Emrys?" He asked.

"Merlin to you." Ezekiel grumbled.

"Oh yeah." Jake said. "I've heard him he called that before. Wasn't he a good guy though?"

"Yes." Carnwennan said. "But he was also a bit of a jerk. You know, theft, melodrama and being in a perpetual cycle of sleep, sarcasm and momentary seriousness." Jake's head was spinning.

"Back to the topic we were discussing." Ezekiel said pointedly.

"Yes. Are you going to ask the redhead out?" Carnwennan asked.

"How do you know she's a redhead?" Jake asked.

"Magic. Now answer the question." Carnwennan said briskly.

"I don't know." Jake said honestly. "I'd like to ask her out, but I don't know what she'll say."

"Ask her out." Ezekiel said. "She'll say yes."

It came as no surprise when Jake walked over to Cassandra half an hour later and said. "Cassie I know you may not want to hear it but I really like you. I really do. And you may be dying but I just need you to know that I love you and I want to go out with you. Whether we only have today, tomorrow, a week, a month or years, my feelings won't change." It came as no surprise when she tearfully said yes.


	15. Chapter 15

The Knight and the Librarian

"Jenkins, I need you." Flynn said, bursting into Jenkins study. Jenkins looked up.

"Yes Mr Carson?" Jenkins asked. Flynn immediately jumped into the story of what happened in Scotland and told him about the note. Jenkins had a thoughtful expression on his face the entire time. He recognised the description and couldn't imagine what Merlin had wanted to say to the Librarian.

"Here's the note." Flynn said, shoving the aged paper into his hand. Jenkins read it quickly. He recognised the fancy italicised script. He looked at it for a moment and decided it best to just tell Flynn.

"I can say, from the description you gave and the note, with certainty that the man you are dealing with is Merlin." Jenkins said. He frowned. If his old friend had contacted him with a warning, why contact the others?

"Merlin?" Flynn asked in wonder. Jenkins shouldn't have been surprised. Flynn would be a fan. "Well I'd certainly like to meet him. I thought he was on our side?"

"In the loosest sense yes." Jenkins said slowly. He had to be careful about what he said, upsetting Merlin never ended well. He might as well tell Flynn the whole story. "Ultimately everything Merlin does is for the good of the future, or at least the future he thinks is best. He isn't a saint, nor is he a particularly wonderful person. Oh he's loyal, sharp and knows when he has to be serious. But he has his flaws. He can be lazy, melodramatic, gets far too close and likes gossip and getting into others business. Not to mention the sex and theft. Well not so much the sex, he's toned that down a lot since he got engaged."

"He's a thief?" Flynn asked. "But why? He has magic."

"You've asked the question but you give the answer." Jenkins said. "Magic. Being a Sorcerer doesn't pay well, pays even less now. Why do you think he made the Philosophers stone? Not the Arcane one you were talking about." Jenkins added. "That was most likely a prototype that escaped the castle."

"The castle?" Flynn asked.

"He owns a castle, it was left to him by Arthur. You may know it as Camelot's strong hold. See, Arthur didn't think he had any children so he left it to the only person he knew would live forever." Jenkins chuckled. "He said it was an engagement present."

"And Merlin stores magical artefacts there?" Flynn asked. "Surely they should be moved to the Library."

"You can't honestly think that the Library is the only stronghold of magical items and artefacts. It is merely the largest and most recognised. There are a few other strongholds and they do just as good a job. They normally don't seek artefacts though." Jenkins explained quickly.

"So he's on our side?" Flynn asked.

"I would hope so." Jenkins said. "We should count our blessings that he hasn't stormed in here and started screaming doomsday like he used to."

"He used to do what?" Flynn asked.

"Scream about the end of the world." Jenkins said calmly. "It was terrifying the first few times but after a while you got used to it. It wasn't always terrifying events either. Sometimes it was just him irritating his girlfriend." Or it was pissing off the King of whatever land. Or Arthur. Or anyone really. Or he was being done for theft. Or he'd lost something.

"He sounds interesting." Flynn said. He wondered what it would take to meet Merlin properly. Though after Jenkins description he wasn't sure how good that would be for his health. Still worth it. And there were things he could ask him.


	16. Chapter 16

The Librarian and the Sorcerer

"You wanted to meet me?" Came a soft voice. Flynn jumped a mile high and span around. He was staring at Merlin. Oh dear lord.

"Yes. I... sorry. I'm a big fan of you. Your work I mean. It's just..." Flynn trailed off. "That's not the point right now. You left me a note?" Merlin had bemused look on his face.

"You're calling me Merlin in your head." He commented lightly. "I prefer Emrys."

"Oh right. Well um the note?" Flynn said, pulling him back on point.

"Yes. I thought it was rather self explanatory." Emrys said. "Which part didn't you understand?"

"The fact that you couldn't have gotten the stone yourself." Flynn said immediately. Emrys chuckled a little.

"Just my little test Librarian. I can't keep up with all your work, gauging response times, how you handle people, explanations." He said. "After all, with danger coming I need to be sure you're the right man for the job."

"What job?" Flynn asked.

"We'll get to that later." Emrys said. "You had more questions?"

"Why are you watching me?" Flynn asked. He'd somehow garnered the attention of an idol and he wasn't sure if it was the right kind of attention.

"I just told you. I need to be sure you can do the job." Emrys said. "And of course I want to see how you interact with your team. A little rough with some?"

"If you mean Ezekiel, he's a thief and he doesn't really appreciate the Library." Flynn said sharply. Emrys said nothing but examined a scroll.

"Regardless of your opinion of him, the Library chose him when he was very young. If you can't trust him trust the Library." He paused. "You make it seem like having a thief is a new thing. The Library has a liking for thieves. They're good at getting magic items."

"Fair enough. I suppose you want us to work together." Flynn said shrewdly. "And why do I need to watch out for Dulaque and Morgan?" Emrys rolled his eyes.

"Dulaque shot Ezekiel and nicked a dagger. What can I say? He's a bad guy with a lot of issues." Emrys said casually. "As for Morgan. Well she's not evil but it's better to just avoid her."

"That's probably true." Flynn said. "You know her better. Now this threat?"

"Ah yes the threat." Emrys said absent mindedly. "When Judson and I first built the Library."

"You helped build the Library? But it's older than Camelot!?" Flynn interrupted.

"I'm immortal." Emrys said. "I'm much older than Camelot. And yes I helped build the Library. Judson built it, crafted it. It's his baby as far as I'm concerned. I just, well, I gave sentient life so it could keep growing and be attached to the world." Emrys rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, when we built the Library we weren't just protecting people from magic and storing dangerous items from equally dangerous people. There was a force. Something that you had to be there and experience to fully understand. It was a terrible force. Because it isn't exactly evil. It's not good. You know what chaos is?"

"The opposite of order. Is that not evil?" Flynn asked.

"Actually most things in moderation can be good. Chaos can just be spontaneity. The problem is, this force wants complete chaos. That is leaning towards evil." Emrys explained.

"So what do we do?" Flynn asked.

"The Library is order and chaos in balance and moderation. It is the Librarian's duty to defend the world from this force." Emrys said clearly.

"Can't you just tell us what it is we're up against?" Flynn asked.

"It won't help." Emrys said. "You'll try and fight with old methods. Chaos learns from their mistakes. You need to come up with new ideas."

"So you're not telling us so we'll come up with our own solution?" Flynn asked.

"Pretty much. I've found that people do their best work under extreme pressure." Emrys said.

"I see. And that's all you want to tell me?" Flynn asked.

"Pretty much." Emrys said. He put the scroll down, deciding it wasn't worth stealing. He looked at Flynn directly. "Congratulations on your engagement. You'll be great together." Flynn opened his mouth to respond but he blinked and Emrys was gone. Flynn didn't feel like he'd learnt anything. He would tell Eve about it later and maybe she could make more sense of it.


	17. Chapter 17

The Guardian and the Scientist

Cassandra met Eve at the corner of the street, ready to go into the bridal boutique. She and Eve had left the wedding dress shopping fairly late. Eve said that it was better to get it slightly later, they'd still fit and she didn't want to have to protect a wedding dress for too long. She still believed in traditions such as it is bad luck for groom to see the wedding dress.

"I want to get this over with quickly." Eve said. She looked haggard. Cassandra stared at her, she knew that Eve had been bouquet shopping before. She wondered if she hadn't been able to get the right bouquet.

"Is something wrong?" Cassandra asked. Eve gave her a quick rundown of what happened, leaving out the bits about Ezekiel. She didn't know how much Cassandra knew about Ezekiel and she didn't want to say anything that she didn't know. Cassandra looked contemplative for a long time. Eve waited for her to say something.

"It sounds serious." Cassandra said. "We can tell the others after the wedding. I don't think anything is going to happen soon, otherwise there would have been more warning."

"So despite being told that the world may end, we should wait until after the wedding?" Eve asked, a little sceptical.

"There's no point in ruining the wedding day." Cassandra said. "Let's get the dresses." Eve followed Cassandra into the store. They were welcomed by a petite woman.

"Are you here for a wedding dress?" She asked.

"Yes, and a dress for my maid of honour." Eve said, pointing at Cassandra. The woman nodded. She led Eve over to the racks of dresses. She then pulled Cassandra off to look at other dresses. Eve scanned the dresses. She decided she wanted a long dress, maybe not with a trail. She considered whether or not to have sleeves. She ran her fingers along the soft materials. In the end she decided on silk. It was soft, light and she liked the way it shifted. After deciding the material she looked at the dress shapes. Eve by-passed the short dresses, and the just past the knee dresses. She ignored the long trail dresses. That left her with two options, long and thing or long and buoyant. Those looked like ballroom gowns and she couldn't go with that. She much preferred the straighter dresses. She moved to the silk section. She never knew how many dresses there could be for a wedding. Cassandra was at her side, staring at them.

"I thought that I should see what dress you go for before I pick mine." Cassandra said. Eve nodded. "So long and silk, what else do you want?"

"I don't know how to shape the top, but I'm thinking a love heart. And I think I want it patterned, like an Escher drawing." Eve said.

"What about straps?" Cassandra said. Eve raised an eyebrow. "You know, the thin ones, like on a spaghetti top." Eve considered it. She nodded and started looking at the thinnest straps she could see. She was stuck between two. One had the love heart shape at the top, thing straps and no pattern. The other was low cut, thin straps that crossed on the back, a slight trail, and a pattern of curves and straight lines with dots that remind Eve of a tessellation. She held them both out to Cassandra.

"Which one do you think?" She asked. Cassandra examined both of them carefully and pointed to the patterned one.

"That one." She said. "Go try it on." The petite lady followed Eve into the dressing room and helped her change into it. Eve felt amazing. It was just the right length, texture. It fit her almost perfectly. The woman made some comments about tailoring it slightly. Eve shook her head.

"No. I like it how it is." She said. She smiled slightly. "My fiancé would prefer it if it's not perfect." The woman raised an eyebrow at her. "He thinks I'm too good for him and he loves me, my imperfections and my perfections. He'll see this and tell me, despite it not being an exact fit, that I am the most beautiful woman in the world." The woman smiled slightly.

"Let's go help your friend, hop out of that and I'll put it in a suit bag for you." The woman said. She had a strange accent, Eve felt it was familiar but brushed it aside. She went out to find Cassandra.

"I'm thinking purple." Eve said, nearly terrifying Cassandra. "To match the bouquet." Cassandra started looking at the purple dresses. They picked out a light purple, satin dress. It had arching sleeves that just cut off over the shoulders. They seemed to wrap around the top and when they reached the middle there was a sash with a small gem in it. Then it trailed away into a knee length dress. Cassandra had tried it on and paraded around in it before the petite woman came back. Cassandra triumphantly claimed the dress for her own. They paid and the petite woman bowed them out of the shop. It wasn't until Eve was putting her dress away that she realised she had heard the accent before. It wasn't until she really thought about it that she realised who she'd met. The woman had black hair, and eyes of two different colours. Eve had gotten her perfect wedding dress and Emrys had been the one to sell it to her.


	18. Chapter 18

The Librarian and the Thief

"You have the rings, don't you?" Flynn asked a very bored looking Ezekiel.

"Course." He said, flashing the gold. Flynn nodded. It was his wedding day and he was little panicky. What if Eve left him at the altar? What if they had misheard the date and time? What if- "Relax mate." Ezekiel drawled. Flynn was envious of how calm he was. "Today's going to run smoothly." Flynn made a noise that sounded oddly like disbelief. Eve had told him about her meetings with Merlin. He wondered what it was about Ezekiel that Merlin was interested in. He wondered if Ezekiel knew that Merlin was keeping an eye on him. Probably not or he would have told him.

"I can't stay calm about this. It's my wedding day. To be honest I never thought I would get married. I can't help but think everything is going to go wrong." Flynn said, flapping his hands in a panicky way. Ezekiel stared at him. He had a weird grin on his face.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't panic." He said. He leaned over the desk. "Look Flynn, I know we aren't the best friends. To be honest I don't think we like each other very much." Flynn stared at him. It wasn't helping. "But I know that you love Eve. I know that she loves you. I know that no matter what you do this is going to be the best day of your life. The only way it can go wrong is if you don't have faith in yourself. I have faith in you Flynn. Go to the wedding. Go get married. Go have a wonderful life with Eve." Ezekiel paused and his expression hardened. "But if you hurt her don't forget I'm the best thief and one of the best hackers in the world. And I will end you." Flynn swallowed. He had never seen Ezekiel as threatening or even remotely dangerous. It was in that moment that Flynn realised that while Eve and Jake could probably beat the crap out of him, and Cassandra could guilt trip him, Ezekiel was the scariest. He could shred Flynn's life in two. He could make him vanish, he could take anything Flynn valued. And he would. Because Ezekiel cared about Eve. Flynn would never hurt Eve but he made a mental promise to never ever ever even upset her. Jake came into the room.

"Time to go to the reception hall." He said. Ezekiel ushered him out and they got the car over. Eve's mother was there looking at Flynn with a reproving look. Charlene was there, sitting in the family row. She nodded at Flynn. He stood at the front, Jake at his side, Ezekiel at the end. The minister came out. He was an elderly man with a short beard. He smiled at Flynn.

"The groom?" He asked. Flynn nodded. He'd left Eve in charge of the arrangements. She knew what she was doing. "Well congratulations young man." He stood in front of Flynn. Twenty minutes later Jenkins gave him a spinny hand to indicate Eve had arrived. The 'here comes the bride' music started. Eve walked up the aisle, Jenkins at her side. Flynn's heart stopped. She was perfection. A radiant beauty that transcended even the clearest cut gems. She was heaven on Earth. She stood at Flynn's side and smile at him. His mouth hung open. Cassandra, who Flynn hadn't even noticed, was to the side, giggling. The minister smiled at them both. He began the sermon. Ezekiel popped up with the rings and winked at them. "Do you, Flynn Christopher Carsen, take Eve Maria Baird to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honour and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?" Flynn looked at Ezekiel for a microsecond. He nodded fractionally and Flynn smiled.

"I do." The minister smiled and turned to Eve and repeated the vow. She looked at Flynn with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. It was brighter than the sun.

"I do." She said.

"By the power vested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife. May only death break this oath. You may now kiss." Flynn grabbed Eve and gave her the most impassioned kiss he had given her. She lobbed her bouquet and it was caught by Cassandra who blushed. Eve dragged then all outside for wedding photos. Ezekiel clapped Flynn on the back.

"I told you it would go fine mate." He said before disappearing into the crowd. Everyone was congratulating them. Eve's mother came over, half crying and telling Eve that she expected grandchildren. And she was so happy. Oh, she sobbed in Eve's arm and told her she'd never been so proud of her daughter. She even hugged Flynn. Charlene wasn't doing much better. Then of course they had the meal. Jake gave his best man speech and Flynn was moved. He hugged Jake and told him he didn't know a finer man anywhere either. There was dancing and laughter and Flynn thought he might just die of happiness. They went back to the Library, Flynn ready to take Eve to all the wonderful places he knew.

But someone was there. They all stopped and stared at the minister, who was staring around the Annex, smiling.

"A wonderful wedding don't you agree." He said kindly. They all stared at him. He laughed and Eve, Ezekiel and Jenkins all looked like they'd been punched. "I think it's time we had that chat no?" They could only watch as the minister changed. First the beard disappeared. The wrinkles were gone. The robes changed to a blue silk shirt, leather jacket and jeans. The white hair went from white to black and the eyes went from brown to blue and green. Jenkins breathed a single word.

"Merlin."


	19. Chapter 19

The Thief, the Knight, the Guardian, the Scientist, the Historian, the Librarian and the Sorcerer

He smiled so brilliantly that Flynn was surprised they weren't blinded by his white teeth.

"You just married us?!" He exclaimed. "Is it even valid?"

"Of course, it is." Merlin said with a huff. He produced the necessary licensing papers. "I'm an ordained minister."

"Who is this guy?" Jake asked.

"Merlin." Jenkins said with a sniff.

"Emrys." Ezekiel, Cassandra and Eve corrected. The man smiled again.

"Emrys will do fine if you don't mind." He said.

"Have you been stalking us?" Eve said in an angry voice. "You did my bouquet, my dress and now you've married us." Ezekiel made a choking sound.

"I wouldn't call it stalking." Emrys said. "More of an... extreme interest. I really wanted you to get married as quickly as possible. Get it out of the way so you can focus on the more important things."

"The threat you keep mentioning but won't tell us about." Jenkins said with his arms crossed. "You really haven't changed a bit."

"Why would I want to?" Emrys countered.

"All I've got is that it's chaos." Flynn said. "And judging by what you gave me. The Egyptian god of chaos."

"That is correct." Emrys said. Jenkins made a strange noise. "Although I'm sure I told you research would only be a hindrance."

"Names have power." Flynn said pointedly. Emerge chuckled lightly.

"I doubt that will help you here." He said.

"And why are you here?" Jenkins interrupted before Flynn could argue. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Is it time for my tragedy?" Everyone looked at him quizzically. Emrys had an imperceptible look on his face.

"More of a past tragedy than a present one." He said. He sat down and for once in his life looked his age. "A terrible tragedy which I, unfortunately, played a part in making. I do not ask for your forgiveness. Only that you understand."

"Why haven't you told me before?" Jenkins asked. The feeling he had wasn't going away.

"Because I thought you knew. I was wrong. And then it wasn't the right time. Now chaos is coming and he knows all of you." Emrys sighed. "I messed up."

"What did you do?" Jenkins asked in a whisper.

"When Camelot fell and I realised what Morgan had done I tried to evacuate the city. I tried to get everyone out. But there were too many people and not enough time." Emrys looked hollow. "I asked Morgan for help. She felt guilty about what she'd done and I was willing to take all the help I could get. We managed to get most of the people out. Then Arthur got hurt. I had to go to him. Morgan said she'd go and get your wife and child. I believed her." He made a choking sound. "After the battle, I realised Morgan hadn't let go of her grudge. They were trapped in a freezing spell. I argued with her and she told me that since you were immortal it would be better for you. With Arthur gone and you disappearing I didn't know what to do. I took them to the southern continents. To one of my residences. They would be safe until the spell wore off."

"So, they're alive?" Jenkins asked. Emrys looked at him with such a pained expression.

"No. She isn't." He said. "The spell broke in 1992." Jenkins stared at him. "I thought it was all fine. I thought I could take them to you and everything would be okay. It wasn't. Morgan was supposed to tell you. Since she did the spell. But she never did. And your wife, she didn't want to see you."

"Why not?" Jenkins asked. His voice was hoarse and sounded cracked.

"She didn't want you to watch her die." Emrys said. "Power. Focus. Effect. She was the power. Your son was the focus. The effect was living until 1992 in suspended animation. She begged me not to get you. She made me promise to look after your son. She told me that she didn't want him dragged into the world you'd both been a part of because he would get hurt." Emrys pulled up his sleeve. There was a black chain tattoo around his forearm. "We made a vow. I could only tell you if it was life threatening."

"But why?" Jenkins asked. He couldn't imagine why his wife would want to keep him from their child. Emrys looked at him with sorrow and pain.

"Call it a mother's love." He said almost bitterly. "No matter how much it would hurt you or her, her priority was the safety of her child. Then she died in 2001. I offered to take him in, but he ran away. I had her buried in Camelot. But I don't know if you visit." Jenkins let out a choking noise. Eve was chalk white, as was Ezekiel. Cassandra was crying and Jake was attempting to comfort her. Flynn was gobsmacked. Eve was shocked at the story, yes, but she still had a brain and it was putting all the information together. She saw what was coming before it happened. Ezekiel punched Emrys clean in the face, so hard he slid off his seat.

"You bastard!" Ezekiel shrieked before running out the back door. Emrys got back to his feet and didn't even look annoyed that he'd just been punched in the face.

"I probably deserved that." He said. There was an emptiness in his tone that made Eve realise something. He'd been expecting that and worse. Of course, Eve was going to give it to him. She slapped him hard.

"How dare you?!" She snapped. One of her cubs was hurting and momma was ready to pounce. "How dare you show up here and just announce this all!? Do you have any idea what that's going to do to him?"

"I know." Emrys said. "I lied. She lied. And I'm a terrible person. I know that already. I'm trying to fix what I broke."

"You have a poor way of doing that." Eve said sharply. "Have some tact."

"I think, as Jenkins will tell you, I have none." Emrys retorted. He looked at Jenkins. "You'd better go find him before he does something stupid like to and work for MI6 again." Jenkins looked at Emrys with such distaste that Emrys wished he could sink into the floor. He stalked out of the room and Eve kept a firm hand on Emrys' shoulder.

Jenkins didn't know what to feel. Seeing the old castle again brought back painful memories. A matronly woman appeared. She led him round to a cemetery. He could see a figure bunched over a grave and sobbing hysterically. Jenkins had never moved quite so fast but he was there. He was hugging Ezekiel so tightly. They were both crying. Screw being strong. Tough. Manly. Whatever. They held each other and cried. Cried for the woman they had lost. For the family that hadn't been. For the time they couldn't share. It seemed to last hours upon hours until a hand rested on Jenkins' shoulder. He looked up to see Emrys, looking pale and depressed.

"I don't ask for forgiveness. I just hope you understand." He said softly. There was a swishing sound and they were in the Annex, Jenkins practically supporting Ezekiel. Carnwennan made purring sounds and then stabbed Emrys in the hand. He didn't yell, merely pulled the dagger out. "You look after him." He said seriously to the dagger. It slipped itself into Ezekiel's belt. This only made Ezekiel cry harder. Jenkins held him tightly. For the first time in centuries the crushing guilt of failure and loss started to lift. Maybe Emrys had completely cocked up but right now he wasn't important. Jenkins had his son in his arms and he wasn't letting go. There was another swishing sound that signalled Emrys was gone. Jenkins made little shushing sounds. Ezekiel's crying subsided into choked sobs.

"I'm probably not the son you wanted." He said, eyes glistening with tears. Jenkins looked at the boy. His boy. His baby. And in that moment he knew that he wouldn't change Ezekiel for the world.

"No, you're the only one I can imagine having." Jenkins corrected. "My little thief." He said fondly. Ezekiel buried his face in Jenkins neck. "Besides I'm probably not the father you wanted."

"No, but you're the only one I can imagine." Ezekiel said through muffled laughter. "When mum said, you were like Galahad..."

"Clever woman." He said fondly. He patted Ezekiel's cheek. It was going to take some getting used to but it would work. Somehow. Jenkins turned to Eve. "How did you know?" Eve told him about her encounters with Emrys and what Ezekiel had said to her. Flynn added what he knew. Jenkins nodded. Jake and Cassandra still seemed to be in shock.

"I think..." Eve hesitated. "I think Emrys means well but he just struggles with people."

"I know." Jenkins and Ezekiel said simultaneously.

"I mean, he's never been good with people." Ezekiel said.

"He's far too broken and far too old to try anymore." Jenkins added. "I think something about Camelot broke him and he wasn't quite right after that."

"Well. That aside, how do you feel about him?" Eve asked.

"I despise his very existence." Jenkins said. "I understand his reasoning, I even understand what and why he did what he did. But I just can't... I can't see him as a friend anymore."

"I don't know." Ezekiel said in a small voice. "Part of me really wants to hate him. Part of me understands. And another part remembers he's always been there to help me."

"Yes. When he gave me the Annex I was almost sure it was out of guilt for everything that happened." Jenkins said. Flynn looked at him shrewdly.

"I don't think he did what he did completely out of guilt." He said. They all looked at him. "He probably still sees you as a friend and gave you something he thought you'd like."

"I admit, the timing was odd. I was at my lowest." Jenkins said in a gruff voice. His arms were still tightly wrapped around Ezekiel.

"Oh, that book you were reading." Cassandra said randomly. Everyone looked at her. "I should have known. It wasn't modern Korean. It was an older style." She hugged Jake tightly. "How could we not have guessed you were from another time?"

"Because Cassie, he adapted to our time without thinking. He was young and it was easy to adapt to technology." Jake said. "It's not important that he's from a different time. Or how we got to the answer. What's important is that they know and they're happy." He paused uncertainly. "Uh you're happy, right?"

"Yes, Mr Stone. Very happy." Jenkins said, pulling Ezekiel even closer. Ezekiel just nodded, trying to process everything. He'd always just thought his mum read a different variation of Korean.

"I think maybe you two should have some time alone." Flynn said. He glanced at Eve. "We'll go on our honeymoon and Jake and Cassandra can handle some missions."

"I found out my tad is alive, I didn't become an invalid." Ezekiel muttered.

"Tad?" Cassandra asked. Ezekiel's accent had changed slightly when he said it.

"It means dad." Jenkins said. He smiled fondly at Ezekiel. "Well, we could do missions together. If that's alright?" He didn't want to alarm Ezekiel but he wanted to get to know his boy.

"Sure." Ezekiel said. Then he smiled brightly. "And you can show me how to use Carn. And maybe a sword."

"Definitely Carn." Jenkins said. "We'll see about the sword though."

"This explains something else." Cassandra said, eyes wide. They looked at her. "I mean, magic doesn't have that much of an effect on you and if Emrys really did want to protect you and you are related to a Knight of the Round Table then it would follow that you have some resistance to magic. Or at least it won't affect you as dramatically."

"Could be true." Jenkins said thoughtfully. "Then of course Sun-Mi had a little bit of magic of her own. That would help." Ezekiel looked at him with an odd look.

"You have to tell me about her." Ezekiel said. He flushed slightly. "I mean, she always made it seem like a fantasy so um..."

"Yes of course." Jenkins placated. He stroked Ezekiel's cheek. "And you can tell me about her. What I missed." Ezekiel nodded and followed Jenkins out of the room. Eve and Flynn grabbed their bags and disappeared through the back door. Cassandra and Jake exchanged looks.

"I always thought they were close." Jake said. "But I didn't see this coming."

"None of us did." Cassandra agreed. "Since they're all busy, why don't you and I look into this threat?"

"Good idea. I'll take the us time." Jake said. Cassandra smiled as he ran his lips down her neck and pulled her into the main Library.

Now starts season 3

For all my fantastic readers, I hope you enjoyed this story. I hope it wasn't too bad or poorly thought through in your opinion. And I hope we all enjoy Librarians season 3. I may or may not write more about the Librarians. If you would like me to then please say so. I literally live for the reviews that my fabulous readers give me. If you have any prompts to give me then please put them in the reviews or PM me. Thank you so much. I love you all. XXX


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